State Bank of India (SBI) is developing an innovative solution to assess the creditworthiness of small businesses lacking GST registration by utilising UPI transaction data. This initiative aims to provide end-to-end digital loans within a day, addressing the financial exclusion of many small enterprises.
Gold loans accounted for 41 per cent of retail loan disbursements in FY26, up sharply from 18 per cent in FY23 and 20 per cent in FY24.
Aditya Birla Capital has entered the gold loan business, aiming to establish 1,000 branches within three years, capitalising on the strong structural growth and surge in demand for gold-backed credit in India.
Economic think tank GTRI has urged the Indian government to withdraw the proposed UPI charges, set to begin on October 15, arguing that the digital payment system should remain free for merchants and consumers. GTRI warns that these charges could lead to higher prices, reduced earnings for small businesses, and weakened household demand, while also benefiting international card networks by eroding UPI's price advantage. The think tank also called for an independent audit of UPI's running costs.
Under bullet repayment, the principal remains outstanding and unpaid interest raises the liability over time. This makes the LTV ratio more vulnerable to a sharp fall in gold prices.
The NCP (SP) has demanded a complete rollback of the 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. The party termed the move a "direct assault" on small traders and shopkeepers, accusing the Modi government of "double standards" by burdening small merchants while large industrialists benefit from loan write-offs.
Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani stressed the need for India to develop population-scale tokenisation infrastructure capable of handling billions of transactions, rather than merely focusing on issuing tokens. He highlighted the importance of interoperability, liquidity, and high volumes for tokenisation to expand across various asset classes and use cases.
A two-day weekend would help employees recover physically and mentally. They would return better prepared for branch work that demands patience, judgment, and accuracy, asserts Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Indian digital certification authority eMudhra has reported a compromise of private keys for some of its global TLS and code-signing certificates, according to Cert-In. This incident, while eMudhra states it has limited impact on its Indian operations, could allow cybercriminals to impersonate websites. Separately, SBI has disclosed a suspected exposure of nearly 4,000 customer records on the dark web.
Rajeev Mahajan, co-founder, director and CEO at Antworks Money will answer all your queries related to availing business loans in an online chat March 21 between 2 pm and 3 pm
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI payments exceeding Rs 2,000 made to merchants, effective from October 15, with a comprehensive framework set to take full effect by October 15, 2026. This policy aims to regulate transaction fees while protecting small merchants and person-to-person transactions.
India's largest bank, SBI, is investigating the suspected exposure of 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information on the dark web. The bank received alerts on October 16 and has initiated cyber incident response protocols, engaging an independent cybersecurity agency. While a detailed assessment is underway, SBI states the incident has not materially impacted its core business operations. This comes as CERT-In also warned last week about autonomous AI agents accessing confidential data and reported a compromise of eMudhra's private keys.
L&T Finance reported a robust Q1FY27 with net profit growing 29% year-on-year to 900 crore, driven by strong asset growth and strategic initiatives including accelerating cross-selling, improving productivity, and fostering a technology-first, AI-led culture, alongside significant expansion in gold loans.
Ayan Pramanik reports on former Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan's fintech firm, which aims to make borrowing easy for small firms and individuals.
Public-sector banks (PSBs) have reported a substantial increase in non-interest income for Q1FY27, primarily driven by the sale of Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs) backed by their rapidly expanding gold loan portfolios. This strategy has allowed several lenders to book significant profits by exceeding priority sector lending targets.
The scheme, called 'Suhana Safar', targeted customers who aspire to own a car but were hesitant because of concerns around arranging the down payment or managing future EMI obligations.
The most financially successful borrowers will not necessarily be those who have the easiest access to credit. They will be the ones who understand how to manage it wisely
Indian banks are projected to achieve healthy profit growth in the second quarter of financial year 2027 (Q2FY27), driven by lower credit costs, robust advance growth, and fee income. However, net interest margins (NIMs) are expected to face pressure due to significant mobilisation of foreign currency non-resident (bank) FCNR(B) deposits.
The protocol aims to "democratise" lending, reduce costs of credit, and ensure accessibility of credit to small companies and street vendors, according to Nandan Nilekani.
PhonePe, at the Global Fintech Fest 2026, unveiled its strategic vision for the next decade, focusing on inclusive digital progress for individuals, households, and businesses across India. The roadmap details innovations in financial inclusion, wealth creation, credit access, and merchant solutions.
Anup Saha, currently a Wholetime Director at Kotak Mahindra Bank, has been appointed as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a three-year term, effective January 1, 2027, with the Reserve Bank of India's approval.
The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana can lend between Rs 50,000-Rs 10 lakh to small entrepreneurs.
Lending is no longer just about what you've done. It is about how you manage money over time, says Mohit Jain, Co-founder, Finfinity.
Every 30 seconds its website is connected to an SME for a loan, every five minutes it evaluates a loan, and every 20 minutes it disburses a loan.
Police in Lucknow busted a gang that misused the Mudra loan scheme to create fake GST firms and commit input tax credit fraud worth approximately Rs 1.3 crore.
For millions of Indians, this number has become one of the most important financial indicators. It can influence not only whether a bank approves a loan but also the interest rate you pay, the credit limit you receive and, in some cases, how quickly your application is processed.
Loans against gold jewellery in India surged by an impressive 128 per cent year-on-year to nearly 4.28 trillion in February 2026, according to the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, significantly outpacing overall retail loan growth.
Bajaj Finance reported a strong Q1 FY27 performance with 24 per cent year-on-year AUM growth and a 28 per cent rise in consolidated profit after tax, driven by significant increases in consumer financing, gold loans, and commercial vehicle loans, alongside a strategic focus on digital transformation and AI.
Loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India saw moderated growth in April 2026, with early signs of stress emerging among micro borrowers and manufacturers, according to a report by credit bureau CRIF High Mark. The slowdown is attributed to potential impacts of global uncertainty.
Rapid growth in personal gold loans has raised concerns over borrower leverage, large-ticket exposure and volatility in gold prices, points out Swaminathan J, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India.
MUDRA bank will help microfinancing firms to lend more.
Ranju Sarkar finds out more about Nowfloats, the start-up that is used by 240,000 businesses that reach 13 million consumers.
'Once you're wrestling with making a merger of that scale value-accretive, you're also under pressure to keep growing the balance sheet and chasing liabilities, and other things start to slip as a consequence.'
HDFC Bank's share in active mutual fund schemes has fallen to multi-year lows, despite overall MF ownership in the bank rising, as the stock faces weak performance, soft margins, and governance concerns.
Bank fraud is no longer just an external cyber threat -- insiders with legitimate access can exploit banking systems, trusted credentials and institutional blind spots to quietly siphon money.
Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) Managing Director and CEO P N Vasudevan stated, "We may end up applying within a year" for a universal banking licence, while also targeting a nearly threefold increase in advances to Rs 1.2 trillion over the next five years.
Commercial banks in India recorded their highest credit growth in two years, accelerating to 18.6 per cent year-on-year by June 27, while also mobilising nearly 7 trillion in deposits, marking the third-highest fortnightly deposit growth in 29 years.
I had gone to Baramati to ask about loans. I came back having done a small, accidental good.
India's public sector banks (PSBs) have seen their net profit nearly treble over the past five years, reaching a record Rs 1.98 trillion in FY26, driven by significant improvements in asset quality and sustained lending growth across key economic sectors.
From the financial year 2025-2026, the government has introduced a new column in the tax return form for presumptive taxpayers, requiring them to disclose their year-end investments. This requirement was not present last year.
